Questions about the 6 month period a Canadian can stay in the US

[fmblanco]

Hello! I understand that canadian citizens can stay in the US for up to 6 months without a VISA. My questions about this are:

1) Is this 6 months since the first entrance? 6 months per calendar year? When does the 6 month period start again?

2) Does the 6 month period restart if you leave the US and enter again?

3) If I entered the US with a J1 visa, worked there for 6 months until my J1 visa ended, do I still have the 6 months that canadians get without a VISA? Or does the time spent with a J1 also count towards the allowed 6 months for Canadians?


That would be all. Thanks!

 

[scylla]

Hello! I understand that canadian citizens can stay in the US for up to 6 months without a VISA. My questions about this are:

1) Is this 6 months since the first entrance? 6 months per calendar year? When does the 6 month period start again?

2) Does the 6 month period restart if you leave the US and enter again?

3) If I entered the US with a J1 visa, worked there for 6 months until my J1 visa ended, do I still have the 6 months that canadians get without a VISA? Or does the time spent with a J1 also count towards the allowed 6 months for Canadians?


That would be all. Thanks!

You really need to post these questions to a US Immigration forum and not here.

1) Generally speaking, the US expects you to spend more time outside of the US than inside of the US within any 12 month period.
2) It's not necessarily that simple. If you've been in the US for a while, leave for a day or a few days and then try to return again for another 6 months, you may have issues at the border since it will look like you're trying to live in the US on visitor status.
3) Again, doesn't really work that way. J1 and visitor are two different statuses. If your J1 ends, you don't automatically get another six months to stay as a visitor just because you are Canadian. Similarly, if the J1 ends, you leave the US and then try to return for another six months soon afterwards, you may have problems at the border.

It sounds like you want to use visitor status to live in the US longer. That's not what visitor status is for.